Let's Play: Long Live the Queen (Civil War)

Technical details first: I used LiteCamHD to grab the video and my voice, and I used Freemake Video Converter to merge the video files together whenever I had to stop for any reason. And I am still unable to find a way to transcribe these with any degree of accuracy, and I apologize for that; I'm sorry to our deaf and hard-of-hearing members of the community.

Copyright permission next: I thank Hanako games for responding to my request for copyright permission to use this material (to avoid all those pesky Fair Use considerations) with "open permission for people to make let's plays of our videos and to use the standard youtube monetisation tools if they want". That's a wonderful policy.

Content summary last: Several people in the YouTube comments have asked that I train in weapons, so I've done that in this (somewhat ill-fated) walkthrough. I ended up killing both Banion and Kevan in duels, and also showed Banion calling for a vote of no confidence (which we won). And, oh yeah, there was a civil war. Whoops!

So! This video will grant the following Steam achievements:

1. A Trial of Your Peers
2. A Matter Of Honor
3. A Land Divided
4. The Gauntlet Thrown

YouTube video below the cut, plus game transcript. I also strongly recommend the LLtQ wiki for any questions about the characters.

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Week 0

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: We're almost home. Your room is just the way you left it.

Elodie, Crown Princess: ...

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: I know it's hard to leave your school and all your friends, but I've arranged the best possible tutors for every subject.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You'll have to work hard this year to prepare yourself before your fifteenth birthday, but I know you can do it.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You'll learn quickly and you'll make a wonderful queen. It's what your mother would have wanted.

Elodie, Crown Princess: This is not what Mother would have wanted!

Elodie, Crown Princess: She wouldn't have wanted to die and leave me.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: No. She wouldn't. But sometimes bad things happen. We have to pick up and carry on.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: All of Nova depends on us. On you.

Elodie, Crown Princess: *sigh*

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: I will be here to guide you until your coronation, but the decisions you make are ultimately up to you.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Come. Your maids are waiting.

Welcome to Long Live The Queen! If this is your first time playing, you should read this brief introduction to how the game works.

Menu: [Tell me more] [I've played this before]

Player chose: I've played this before

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Week 1

(Studied Novan History in the morning.)

(Studied Novan History in the afternoon.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: What's all that noise outside? Who's here?

Elodie, Crown Princess: Oh! It's my cousins! And my aunt and uncle.

Lucille, Countess of Nix: Darling. We were so terribly sorry to hear about your mother Fidelia.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Thank you.

Laurent, Duke of Merva: You look well, niece.

Charlotte, Lady Merva: Hi, 'Lodie!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Hi, Lottie. I haven't seen you in ages! Will you be staying long?

Charlotte, Lady Merva: Yup! Mummy said we'd be here all month.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Maybe we'll have some time to talk later.

A walk in the fresh air helps you forget the burdens on your shoulders.

Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: I have come to pay my respects in honor of your mother.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You have no respect or honor. It's because of you and your powers that my wife is dead!

Elodie, Crown Princess: What?!?

Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: I am a Lumen, as was she, and like every Lumen I am willing to give my life if necessary to protect our domain.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Your line has been traitors for two hundred years. I won't have you corrupting my daughter.

Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: That is for the Crown Princess to decide.

Julianna, Duchess of Ursul: Elodie, your mother trusted me, and I have much to teach you.

Menu: [Send her away] [Arrest her] [Let her stay]

Player chose: Arrest her

Elodie, Crown Princess: You are a traitor to the crown and I ought to have you executed.

Elodie, Crown Princess: GUARDS! Arrest her!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Throw her into the castle dungeons and let her rot!

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Well. I suppose she won't be a problem anymore.

Charlotte, Lady Merva: I love this room! It's so much bigger than mine back home.

Elodie, Crown Princess: You should visit more often. It's awful that the only time I get to see you is...

Elodie, Crown Princess: ... something like this.

Elodie, Crown Princess: I know your brother and sister are still too young, but why haven't you come to school?

Charlotte, Lady Merva: My mother worries about me. She doesn't think anywhere but home is safe.

Elodie, Crown Princess: I understand. I'm probably not going to be allowed to leave this castle until my birthday.

Elodie, Crown Princess: But at least we can have fun together here!

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Week 3

(Studied Court Manners in the morning.)

(Studied Running in the afternoon.)

Charlotte, Lady Merva: He loves me, he loves me not...

Elodie, Crown Princess: Lottie, do you have a boyfriend?

Charlotte, Lady Merva: Not really. I just like to play with the flowers.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Me too.

You gather your skirts and prepare to sit down, when all of a sudden, a hissing noise alerts you to a hidden danger - a snake!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Charlotte, don't move!

You grab for a stick to push the snake away, but you lack the skills to do the job properly, and poking the snake only makes it angry. Too fast to see, it lunges forward and sinks its fangs into your leg!

Elodie, Crown Princess: OW!

The snake slithers away, but it's too late now. A strange tingling sensation begins to spread through your flesh.

Charlotte, Lady Merva: That's a milk viper. They're poisonous!

Elodie, Crown Princess: I don't feel good.

Your leg is going numb. You stumble and fall to the ground.

Charlotte, Lady Merva: Hold on!

Your cousin kneels beside you and presses her hands over the bite mark. The area throbs painfully, then begins to feel warm.

After a minute, you're dizzy, but your leg isn't buzzing anymore, and even the wound has disappeared.

Elodie, Crown Princess: We appreciate that you feel wronged. One of our subjects attempted to instigate a rebellion in your territory.

Elodie, Crown Princess: However, she did not have our approval for these actions. If you withdraw your troops, we will punish her.

Brin, Duchess of Hellas, Countess of Dysnomia: Your Highness!

Elodie, Crown Princess: This is the fair solution. You have no right to invade us because of her actions.

Diplomat from Ixion: What manner of punishment were you considering?

Menu: [Make her a commoner] [Command her to marry an Ixionite] [Execute her]

Player chose: Make her a commoner

Elodie, Crown Princess: She will be stripped of her titles and forced to live as one of the common people.

Banion, Duke of Maree, Earl of Serenitatis: Your Highness, I must protest!

Elodie, Crown Princess: No one will be allowed to benefit from sneaky attempts at stealing land. Not Hellas and not Ixion. Nobody.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Her titles will pass to her brother Bennett, the husband of the Countess of Dis.

Diplomat from Ixion: Very well. We will accept this apology.

Brin: This is outrageous!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Out!

You sneak a peek at some of the luckless peasants held in the dungeons - petty thieves and troublemakers, now suffering in the dark. They're obviously bad people, but seeing them so miserable still feels unfair. There must be a better way.

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Week 11

(Studied Internal Affairs in the morning.)

(Studied Running in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There are reports that a keythong has been sighted leaving the Old Forest.

Elodie, Crown Princess: What's a keythong?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: A beast with the body of an enormous golden cat, a sharp beak, and spikes on its back.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Eek!

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Several disappearances in southern Caloris are already thought to be the work of this creature.

Elodie, Crown Princess: What do we do? Should we send hunters?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The traditional policy on stray beasts is to hope that they return to the forest and stay there.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Hunters are no match for such creatures. You would only make it angry and waste more lives.

Elodie, Crown Princess: So... we just let it eat people?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Everyone dies in the end.

Elodie, Crown Princess: ...

You sneak a peek at some of the luckless peasants held in the dungeons - petty thieves and troublemakers, now suffering in the dark. They're obviously bad people, but seeing them so miserable still feels unfair. There must be a better way.

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Week 12

(Studied Internal Affairs in the morning.)

You have nothing more to learn about Internal Affairs.

(Studied Swords in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There is a woman here to see you. She wishes Crown funding for a project.

Woman: Thank you for seeing me, Your Royal Highness. I... I come to you on behalf of the people.

Woman: I wish to build a hospital where any citizen afflicted with disease can be brought for treatment.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Putting all the sick people together? Wouldn't that make them die even faster?)

Elodie, Crown Princess: We are not interested.

You sneak a peek at some of the luckless peasants held in the dungeons - petty thieves and troublemakers, now suffering in the dark. They're obviously bad people, but seeing them so miserable still feels unfair. There must be a better way.

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Week 13

(Studied Archery in the morning.)

(Studied Archery in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You are requested to stand in judgement. A woman has been convicted of attempted murder and requests the mercy of the Crown.

Kevan, Earl of Io: Your Highness! This slattern dares to beg pardon, when she admits that she tried to poison my sister under her own roof!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Which sister?

Kevan, Earl of Io: Corisande, the Duchess of Mead.

Kevan, Earl of Io: Corisande, the Duchess of Mead.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (His other full-sister is the wife of the Duke of Kigal, and his mother is the Duchess of Lillah. Family ties are complicated.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: Is she all right?

Kevan, Earl of Io: She is unharmed. We caught the culprit in the kitchens before anyone could eat her foul spew.

Condemned Woman: Lied to her, they did, when she went to see why he'd not come back. Said he'd gone for a soldier, when he never would!

Condemned Woman: He weren't the only one neither. I waited ten years for my chance to get my own back. That's justice!

Kevan, Earl of Io: You see? She's completely unrepentant! Hang her and be done with it.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (This must be about the last Duke of Mead. He had a lot of servants who were 'mysteriously' injured or killed.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (But he's dead - and he either killed himself or his family 'helped' him along.)

Menu: [Put her to work] [Imprison her] [Execute her] [Tell her that justice was already done]

Player chose: Tell her that justice was already done

Elodie, Crown Princess: You are wrong. Justice was already done - by the gods, and by the nobles that you've despised.

Elodie, Crown Princess: The one who killed your brother is dead. He was replaced by wiser rulers, like the Duchess you tried to harm.

Elodie, Crown Princess: You blamed an innocent woman, one who might had sympathy for you if you had told her the truth. Not all nobles are the same.

Condemned Woman: I... I never thought.

Elodie, Crown Princess: You will have time to think about your actions in the dungeons.

Kevan, Earl of Io: She should be hanged!

Elodie, Crown Princess: She acted for the love of her sibling. Surely you can understand that? No one else needs to die.

You sneak a peek at some of the luckless peasants held in the dungeons - petty thieves and troublemakers, now suffering in the dark. They're obviously bad people, but seeing them so miserable still feels unfair. There must be a better way.

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Week 14

(Studied Polearms in the morning.)

(Studied Polearms in the afternoon.)

As you are walking one day in the gardens, you hear a strange sound and look up to see an owl flying overhead. A single dry leaf flutters in its talons.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (That's funny, I thought owls were nocturnal. I guess I was wrong.)

Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

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Week 15

(Studied Swords in the morning.)

You have unlocked a new outfit!

(Studied Swords in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Remember that the Festival of the Good Lady is approaching.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There will be public celebrations for the commoners, followed by a grand gala for the nobility.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: As Queen, you would be expected to lead the procession and take part in the ceremonial planting, possibly give a speech.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: However, since you are not yet crowned, it is not required, and it may not be safe to expose you to the public.

Elodie, Crown Princess: What do you mean, not safe?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Outside of the castle, you are less well protected. If anyone means you harm... Think on it now, decide later.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There is a letter for you as well.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (It's from Briony! I went to school with her, but she's a couple years older than me. Her mother is the Duchess of Mead.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (She's complaining that her mother still won't let her come home for the holidays.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (She's bored and looking for an adventure. Well, I don't have any to suggest to her!)

You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

(Put on the weapons outfit.)

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Week 16

(Studied Swords in the morning.)

(Studied Logistics in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Today is the procession and planting for the Festival of the Good Lady. Will you be leading the parade?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: If you have any concerns about your safety, please, stay here.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The people will recover from disappointment; if we lose you, there is no recovery.

Menu: [I will lead the parade] [I will parade and make a speech] [I would rather not go]

Player chose: I will lead the parade

Elodie, Crown Princess: I'm not afraid. I'm going to be the best parade-leader ever!

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: My little girl.

You prepare your best gown for the occasion, then walk slowly through the town with your attendants. It would not be appropriate for you to wear a sword, but you do walk with a sturdy golden scepter that's taller than you are.

At the end of the route, you help the priestesses turn over the earth for the new tree to be planted.

Then the new life is blessed, and all the attendants join in song.

The procession regroups to return to the castle.

All of a sudden, there is a faint rumbling noise from under your feet.

The newly planted tree in front of you quivers, and then, out of nowhere, a spurt of water comes up from the ground, spattering you and the assembled crowd with droplets.

Just as quickly as it began, it vanishes.

The priestesses try to calm the crowds with talk of omens and natural eruptions, but they can't halt the whispers: dark magic. That water tasted of salt.

That night, the guards report that Julianna, the former Duchess of Ursul, has mysteriously vanished from her cell.

Everyone is suspected, but no one seems to know what happened.

You now have an enemy on the loose.

You sneak a peek at some of the luckless peasants held in the dungeons - petty thieves and troublemakers, now suffering in the dark. They're obviously bad people, but seeing them so miserable still feels unfair. There must be a better way.

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Week 17

(Studied Logistics in the morning.)

(Studied Strategy in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Are you ready for the grand ball?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: All the nobles in the domain are here to see you - to see their queen.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (gulp!)

You finish dressing and descend the stairs to make a grand entrance.

All around, the rich and powerful pause in their activities to gaze upon you, the ruler of them all.

Seeing yourself reflected in so many eyes makes you want to run away and hide.

After a moment, you force yourself to carry on, but you're sure they've all seen you hesitate.

Your father waits for you at the bottom of the stairs and offers you his arm.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The first dance is for us.

He guides you gently around the dance floor, never rushing you. It's fun to dance with your father, but the look in his eyes is so sad.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: After this, you must choose your own partner. There are a number of men who hope to catch your eye.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The Duke of Kigal alone has brought three eligible sons, all near your age.

You look around the room at all your possible partners - which is to say, everyone. No one may begin dancing until you do. You can pick whomever you want and you will not be denied.

Condemned Man: Everyone knows the power of magical beasties! They used me, they twisted my fingers into chains...

Condemned Man: My wife found me screaming, she tried to shake me, and the chains wrapped around her...

Condemned Man: I need the priestesses to bless me and make me clean again!

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Demons that make you attack people? Is that even possible?)

Menu: [Pardon him] [Imprison him] [Execute him]

Player chose: Execute him

Elodie, Crown Princess: I don't care whether there were demons or not, you're still a murderer and your life is forfeit.

Elodie, Crown Princess: You will be hanged in public as a deterrent to future criminals.

He opens his mouth to argue with you further, but then his shoulders slump.

Condemned Man: Yes, Your Majesty.

You wander through the parts of the castle where other people rarely visit, but find little except spiderwebs. Yuck.

(Put on the military outfit.)

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Week 21

(Studied Trade in the morning.)

Your skill in Trade is now 50. You may not increase this skill until your other Economics skills are 25 or higher.

(Studied Logistics in the afternoon.)

You receive word of an unfortunate incident at the gallows where the man you judged was sent to be executed.

As he was led to the platform, he suddenly lashed out with explosive magical power, killing several guards and spectators before making his escape.

The population is buzzing with rumors of a secret cabal of evil Lumens who sacrifice innocents in their dark rituals.

Reports also arrive from neighboring duchies, where angry mobs hoping to collect a reward have been assaulting any woman who vaguely matches the description of the former Duchess of Ursul. Luckily, no one has yet been killed, but neither has the correct target been located.

You wander through the parts of the castle where other people rarely visit, but find little except spiderwebs. Yuck.

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Week 22

(Studied Strategy in the morning.)

You may now tour the Barracks on the ________________________________________

Weekends.

(Studied Logistics in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: I regret to inform you that Fabian, the Earl of Titan and Duke-Regent of Elath, has passed away.

This isn't really a surprise; he was pretty old. The problem is the political implications.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: With the control of Elath in doubt, it falls to the crown to make decisions.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Young Lord Adair will not reach his fifteenth birthday for over two years. He requires a regent.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: His stepmother, Arisse, the Duchess of Lillah, has petitioned that the boy be left in her care.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: This would, however, leave her in personal control of two neighboring duchies, which is generally forbidden.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Not to mention that she's closely related to the Duchess of Mead and the Duke of Kigal!)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (She could control almost the entire eastern half of Nova. People already call her Nova's other queen!)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Duchess Arisse almost certainly killed her second husband after she divorced him.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (And the last Duke of Mead died in mysterious circumstances while she was around.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Which meant the title of Mead passed to Arisse's daughter.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: (But without proof, she couldn't be punished.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The boy does have a living grandfather, the Earl of Ishtar. Or you might appoint an unrelated noble to act in his stead.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: The Earl of Ishtar has suggested another possibility. You and Adair are both young, not too far apart in age.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: He requests that we accept the boy as your future husband and keep him here at the castle.

Menu: [Leave him with Arisse] [Send him to his grandfather] [Marry him] [Send him to your uncle]

Player chose: Send him to your uncle

Elodie, Crown Princess: What about your brother Armand? He would be a safe pair of hands to watch over Adair.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: As you wish.

You wander through the parts of the castle where other people rarely visit, but find little except spiderwebs. Yuck.

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Week 23

(Studied Strategy in the morning.)

(Studied Naval Strategy in the afternoon.)

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: There is a woman here to see you. She is a musician and wishes Crown patronage.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Which means money.)

Musician: Your Royal Highness! If you accept me as a member of your court I will immortalise you in word and song.

Musician: I have dabbled in musical styles from many countries, and can entertain your guests and lighten your evenings.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Musicians are often used as secret agents and messengers. They can be useful - and dangerous.)

The musician sings a little ditty to demonstrate her skills with the lute.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (She's actually pretty good.)

Menu: [Accept her as Court Musician] [Reject her]

Player chose: Reject her

Elodie, Crown Princess: Thank you, but we are not interested.

Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

________________________________________

Week 24

(Studied Dogs in the morning.)

(Studied Dogs in the afternoon.)

You receive a letter from Young Lord Adair.

So far, he's enjoying himself with your uncle Armand in Mazomba. He says the trees look different, and there are a lot more frogs. He looks forward to visiting the lookout fort at Shepherd's Point.

You wander through the parts of the castle where other people rarely visit, but find little except spiderwebs. Yuck.

(Put on the weapons outfit.)

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Week 25

(Studied Dogs in the morning.)

(Studied Dogs in the afternoon.)

Your skill in Dogs is now 50. You may not increase this skill until your other Animal Handling skills are 25 or higher.

While studying reports of trade and goods shipments, you notice something interesting. The domain of Shanjia, which is now the major power on the western continent, appears to be stepping up production.

In particular, their increased demand for wood, hemp, linen, and metals suggest that they are producing new ships - and new weapons. This could be the precursor to a warfleet.

Whatever they're doing, it will take time. If they intend to attack Nova, you have enough warning to make your own defensive preparations.

The downside is, they won't come cheap.

Menu: [Build more warships] [Do nothing]

Player chose: Build more warships

You send orders for the assembly of new ships, and the strengthening of weaponry and cladding on the existing fleet. If trouble comes, you'll be ready for it.

A walk in the fresh air helps you forget the burdens on your shoulders.

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Week 26

(Studied Naval Strategy in the morning.)

(Studied Logistics in the afternoon.)

You have nothing more to learn about Logistics.

Alice: My lady, there is a letter for you.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Who sent this? It isn't signed...)

It appears to be a poem, describing you in a manner that is entirely inappropriate for a Queen.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (I *what*? With a *squid*?)

Menu: [That's hilarious!] [That's terrible!]

Player chose: That's hilarious!

Elodie, Crown Princess: (That's actually pretty funny!)

Just then, an incredibly unlucky breeze swirls between the windows of your tower bedroom, tugging the paper out of your hands and off into the sky.

You stick your head out the window to discover the 'poem' caught and fluttering on the roof nearby. You can almost reach it.

Menu: [Climb out and grab it] [Ignore it]

Player chose: Ignore it

What's the worst that can happen? It blows off and someone reads it and laughs at you? That's better than breaking your neck.

Besides, if you're lucky it will rain and wash the words away.

You wander through the castle dungeons, but see nothing of interest.

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Week 27

(Studied Climbing in the morning.)

(Studied Climbing in the afternoon.)

Alice: My lady, there are letters for you.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Another letter from Briony. Why does she keep writing me? We were never even friends.)

Elodie, Crown Princess: I am the Queen. Nothing she says will change that.

Diplomat: I am afraid that is not good enough.

Diplomat: Surrender now, or prepare to meet us in battle.

Menu: [Surrender] [Refuse]

Player chose: Refuse

Elodie, Crown Princess: Then battle it must be.

Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

________________________________________

Week 31

(Studied Elegance in the morning.)

(Studied Elegance in the afternoon.)

War rages for control of Nova.

As defending Queen, you are required to take personal control of your forces.

Battles are won and lost, fallen soldiers decorating the landscape. The final outcome...

... is a victory for your side.

Your forces sweep through the rebellious duchies and are met with cheers by the local population. Arisse, the ringleader, is executed, and the other rebels forced to pay tribute to keep their holdings.

Of course, there is also a cost paid in lives.

Your understanding of military strategy helped limit the losses received by your side.

Total casualties were 1041.3975 on your side and 1704.105 among the rebels.

Of course, there are no more rebel soldiers now - they are once more your loyal subjects.

Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

________________________________________

Week 32

(Studied Presence in the morning.)

(Studied Presence in the afternoon.)

You have unlocked a new outfit!

Elodie, Crown Princess: Things have been so unsettled lately... Everyone's on edge. We need something cheerful.

You find your father standing over a map of the coastline, his face grave.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Ships have been sighted on approach from Shanjia. Not tradeships - this is a warfleet.

Elodie, Crown Princess: I've been expecting something like that.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Within a ________________________________________

Week they will be in Novan waters. Within two they could reach the capital.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Then we will fight to defend ourselves.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You can try to use the treasury funds to hire additional soldiers, but it may be difficult on short notice.

Menu: [Recruit soldiers] [Don't]

Player chose: Recruit soldiers

Elodie, Crown Princess: Fine, we'll do that.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You will need to draw up a naval strategy for our ships to carry out.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You could choose to act as admiral and lead the fleet in person, but the danger to you would be very great.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Unless you think your personal skills will make the difference, I would strongly advise against it.

Menu: [Direct the fleet] [Stay in the capital]

Player chose: Direct the fleet

Elodie, Crown Princess: The risk is mine to take.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You have your mother's heart.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Do your best, and Nova will survive.

You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

________________________________________

Week 35

(Studied Public Speaking in the morning.)

(Studied Public Speaking in the afternoon.)

Danger on the high seas!

Ships close in on each other, angling into range.

You clamber up the rigging to take a position in the crow's nest, where you can watch the enemy's movements with a spyglass and shout out any necessary changes in plan.

The Shanjians have half again as many troops as you do. It doesn't look promising.

The eventual outcome...

... is not in your favor.

The Novan ships are sunk or scattered, as the Shanjian forces press towards landfall.

Your grasp of strategy allows you to recognise when the tipping point has been passed, and order your remaining vessels to retreat before they are all destroyed.

This saves lives, but it means leaving the Novan approach completely unguarded.

Many good soldiers were lost today, and Nova's troubles have not ended.

Since you have failed to repel the invasion, the Shanjian fleet will soon land and their troops will begin to progress towards your capital city.

Your remaining soldiers will hold them off as long as possible, of course, but the main strength of your military has been exhausted. Nova's future looks bleak.

You sneak out of the castle to have a little fun. You enjoy your freedom, but your father won't like it if he finds out.

(Put on the royal_demeanour outfit.)

________________________________________

Week 36

(Studied Flattery in the morning.)

(Studied Court Manners in the afternoon.)

The invasion of Nova is proceeding. Your coastline is under Shanjian control. Soldiers have marched through villages, trampling fields and frightening citizens.

A diplomatic delegation from Shanjia has requested access to the castle to discuss terms - most likely, for your surrender. You lack the strength to hold off their armies, and surrendering now will save many lives. It would seem that you have no choice.

You prepare yourself as best you can to meet with the representatives from Shanjia.

You expected diplomats and a military representative, a general or an admiral. You did not expect the handsome man decked in jewels who now stands before you - a man announced by your servants as Togami, King of Shanjia.

Elodie, Crown Princess: (Is he really their King? Why would a king come all the way here?)

Togami: My dear young lady. How difficult this must be for you. So much responsibility at such a tender age.

You yearn to slap the false sympathy off his oily face, but you force yourself to remain calm.

Togami: War benefits no one, don't you think? Such a terrible waste. Better to settle things in a civilised manner.

Togami: A contest. A game, so to speak, with Nova as the stakes.

Togami: Should I win, then your domain will submit and accept me as Overlord with no further resistance.

Togami: Should I lose, then my army will leave your domain in peace and shed no more blood.

Elodie, Crown Princess: What sort of game?

Togami: It is well known that Nova is ruled by Lumens. As it happens, I too possess the powers of a Lumen.

Togami: I propose a formal duel. My powers against yours. The winner takes control of Nova, the loser... dies.

Elodie, Crown Princess: But I'm not a Lumen!

Togami: Saving it for the coronation, were you? Such a pity that you'll be unprepared.

Togami: Well, then. Go and find your crystal. Becoming a Lumen is a very simple matter. Then we can have our duel.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: You want to fight the Lumen ruler of Nova?

Your father reaches into his pocket and pulls out a shimmering blue crystal, which he places over his heart.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Illuminate!

Your hair stands on end as a veil of blue sparkles settles over your father, crawling into his skin. When it's over, the jewel has been absorbed into his body without a trace.

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Fight me. Leave her alone.

Togami: Well! This is not what I expected, but it will serve my purposes just as well.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Daddy?

Joslyn, King Dowager, Duke of Caloris: Be quiet, Elodie. You are not a Queen yet.

You are forced to sit and watch as the two men work out the details of the duel and its stakes, then take their places in a carefully warded circle.

Your father crosses his arms, summoning up a thick gray fog that swirls around him, hiding him from view. But the Shanjian king conjures a cloud of glowing butterflies which drive into the fog and blow it apart.

Then the invader claps his hands together and chants. Fiery red lights cluster over his fingertips and merge together into a pulsing blob before erupting towards your father. He resists with a beam of blue, catching the infernal energy and pushing it back in Togami's direction.

You knew what the outcome would be, you knew it all along. Togami is a trained Lumen eager to demonstrate his powers, and your father...

... was your father.

The blue crystal reappears, lying beside your father's body like an innocently-discarded bauble - but now that blue color is colored by a faint wash of red.

The smirking King of Shanjia sweeps the crystal off the floor and tucks it away into his robes.

Togami: How fitting. First I end your mother's life and then your father's.

Elodie, Crown Princess: You what?

Togami: You didn't think her death was an accident, did you? That took careful planning!

Togami: And now the Novan power is mine, and you even get to live.

He holds out a hand in front of him, the elegant robe dangling freely.

Togami: Now kneel and kiss my hand.

You stare at that horrible hand hovering before you. You have a choice.

Menu: [Obey] [Refuse]

Player chose: Obey

Swallowing your pride, you kneel and press your lips to the backs of his cold fingers.

Togami: Good girl.

Togami: Well. As I promised, the invasion will end, and my men and I will return across the sea.

Togami: Unless one of you is so foolish as to attack me. Then all deals are off.

No one stirs.

Togami: Pity.

A walk in the fresh air helps you forget the burdens on your shoulders.

________________________________________

Week 37

(Studied Elegance in the morning.)

(Studied Presence in the afternoon.)

The war has ended, and the Shanjians have withdrawn.

All throughout Nova, a fragile layer of calm lies over a deeper pit of uncertainty and fear.

Rumors have sprung up among the common people that you struck some unholy bargain with King Togami; that you promised him the soul of your firstborn child, that you ritually sacrificed a village boy for him, that you killed your own father because he protested.

It makes no difference what they believe. It's too late to change things now.

You attend services in the castle grove, letting the peace of the ritual calm your heart.

________________________________________

Week 38

(Studied Public Speaking in the morning.)

(Studied Flattery in the afternoon.)

You have unlocked a new outfit!

Visitors have arrived to see you - your family, or what remains of it.

Lucille, Countess of Nix: My poor darling Elodie. You should not be alone at a time like this.

Lucille, Countess of Nix: There is so much still to be done, and you so young... We have come to give you whatever help we can.

Elodie, Crown Princess: Thank you.

She's right, after all. You have a coronation to plan, a domain to run, and without your father, you need some adult to give you advice...

Time has slipped by you so quickly. Only two ________________________________________

Weeks remain before your birthday celebration, and your official coronation as Queen. Have you done enough to build a stable Nova?

It is traditional for the palace to provide entertainment and refreshment for the common people when a new monarch is crowned. It is a rare opportunity for the poor of the land to dine like nobles.

Considering the recent tragedy, celebrations may appear to be in poor taste.

The size and scope of any such feast depends on what expense the royal treasury is willing to bear.

Sitting in on court sessions is not fun at all, but it pleases your father and it may be important for your future.

(Put on the conversation outfit.): (Put on the royal_demeanour outfit.)

________________________________________

Week 40

(Studied Court Manners in the morning.)

(Studied Public Speaking in the afternoon.)

At this time last year, you were celebrating your fourteenth birthday. You were in the school gardens, surrounded by your friends. A teacher brought you tea and cakes, while a wealthy merchant's son wove a crown of flowers for your head.

It didn't matter so much that you were a princess then. Your title was something for the future. Many of your peers would be Duchesses or Earls or the like, someday, but not then. You were children.

Your parents could not attend on the actual day, but they did send wonderful gifts, some for you, and some for you to share. And a ________________________________________

Week later, they came for a visit, and your mother took you with her through the countryside in a splendid carriage.

It was the last time you would ever see her.

You wonder if, wherever she is, she can see you now.

You are fifteen years old, a legal adult. You have worked and studied and suffered and prepared, and now the time has come.

You kneel before the priestess, barely hearing her words as she recites the blessings.

She calls upon the gods to deliver peace, wisdom, and prosperity to you, and through you, to all of Nova. And then she calls upon you, for your oath of rulership.

Priestess of the First Circle: Will you guide and govern and protect your people to the best of your ability, according to law and custom?

Elodie, Crown Princess: I will.

Priestess of the First Circle: Will you to the best of your power uphold the ideals of love, honor, justice, and mercy?

Elodie, Crown Princess: I will.

Priestess of the First Circle: Lords and Ladies assembled: I present to you your undoubted Queen, who has sworn you her loyalty.

Priestess of the First Circle: You who have come to give homage, will you do the same?

One at a time, the head of each duchy approaches your throne and kneels to swear his or her service to you and your heirs.

Priestess of the First Circle: People of Nova, I give you Elodie, daughter of Fidelia, your true sovereign. What say you all?

People: LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

Elodie, Queen of Nova: (Thank you! I will!)

After the coronation, in a private ceremony with the High Priestess, Elodie was officially offered her mother's Lumen crystal. She refused to accept it. For the first time in centuries, magic would have no hold on the throne of Nova.

The tragic events of the past year left a gap in the Novan power structure, since Joslyn, Duke of Caloris, died with no acknowledged heir to his title. Elodie, of course, was the reigning Queen, which by tradition would prevent her from holding the duchy as well.

In order to resolve the situation quickly and keep the lands within her family, Elodie offered to grant control of Caloris to her uncle Laurent, the current Duke of Merva. The title of Merva, in the meantime, would be transferred to her aunt Lucille, who had always claimed to be descended from the extinct Mervan line. It would then be up to that couple which of their children inherited which territories.

During Elodie's reign, the public opinion of Lumens and magic in general would fall to a new low. Parents taught their children that Lumen power was all tied up with witchcraft and blood sacrifice, and would always lead to sorrow in the end.

In some territories, any village outcast found to be in possession of a shiny bit of rock was likely to fall victim to a lynch mob, and the miscreants were rarely punished. Better safe than sorry when it came to magic, after all. Even healers and priestesses were eyed with some suspicion. Who knows what costs their powers might have?

The young Queen sponsored expeditions of trained knights to venture into the Old Forest and attempt to exterminate the monsters within. Unfortunately, black magic would not give up its grip on Nova so easily. Many lives were lost, and with their blood, the monsters appeared to grow even stronger...

True to his word, Togami and the Shanjians ignored Nova in the years to come, focusing their efforts instead on the far northern continent of Borealis.

What he sought there, Elodie did not know, but she suspected it might someday have grave consequences for Nova...

Elodie eventually married a foreign duke in order to advance alliances and promote Novan strength.

It was not a love match, but the two parties learned to respect and care for each other. They raised two children, a son and a daughter.

Elodie's interest in military strategy led her to treat country management as something of a game - a game that she intended to win.

That meant building up Nova's strength to the point where no invader could ever threaten its sovereignty again.

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